[help-gv] default media size

[Steve Kleene]

My PostScript files made with groff have no information about media size
(DocumentMedia or setpagedevice).  This is true even if I force "-p letter"
on grops.  I have verified that groff opens /etc/papersize (which says
"letter") but don't see any media size info in the PostScript output.

When I view these PS files with gv, it displays them as A4, but I would
prefer letter.  I'm guessing gv picks some default media size, which seems to
be A4.  Is there a way for me to change that default gv uses to letter?

I have found two ways so far to get a letter display:

  1. Call "gv -media=LETTER".  I'd rather have letter just be the default.

  2. Change the line in /etc/X11/app-defaults/GV from
       GV.pageMedia:           automatic
       to
       GV.pageMedia:           letter
     I'm wondering, though, if that wouldn't force letter even on a document
     that declares itself to be something else (e.g. A4).

On an older installation I have, gv just brings up a letter display by
default as far as I can tell.

I'm using these packages from the Debian Etch repository:

  groff 1.18.1.1-12
  gv 3.6.2-3
  gs-gpl 8.54.dfsg.1-5

These lines may also be relevant:

  In /usr/share/groff/1.18.1/font/devps/DESC
    papersize /etc/papersize a4
  In /etc/papersize
    letter

Thanks.